Portable prefabricated shelter



Filed Jan. 8, 1958 May 2, 1961 w. R. HUNzlKl-:R 2,982,290

PORTABLE PREF'ABRICATED SHELTER 4 Sheets-Shea?I 1 Fff-l v 25 INVENToR.Malia wzzaifer May 2, 1961 W. R. HUNZIKER 2,982,290

I PORTABLE PREFABRICATED SHELTER Filed Jan. 8, 1958 4 SheelzzS-Sheei'l 2Fit?. 2.

A INVENTOR. l 0a er /fwzzker ,Z5 2f Z 2 May 2, 1961 w. R. HUNZIKER A2,982,290

PORTABLE PREF'ABRICATED SHELTER Filed Jan. 8, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ZXjf INVENTOR. Ha Zier R Hanz ker May `2, 1961 w. R. HUNZIKER 2,982,290

P ABLE PREFABRICATED SI-IELTER 8' 1958 sheet 4 INVENTOR. %.Hunziker BYHMM or members;

2,982,290 .PORTABLE PREABRICATED SHELTER v walter Runen Hunziker; 1937'rFn'urnew Roan Atlanta, Ga.

The invention described" herein' may be manufactured and used by orl forthe Government for governmental purposes vwithout-the payment of anyroyalty thereon.

The present inventionA relatesto `improvements in portable prefabricatedshelters'andl more particularly to a prefabricated shelter structurethat can be folded in its entirety or by sections to assume aportablecondition. StillV more specifically,y the invention relates toafoldable, portable, prefabricated,` self-supporting shell havingminimum erection `and folding times;

This invention', because of its ease of installation and speed ofpackinga'ccompanied by a relatively low/total weight, is particularlyadaptedto incorporation in personnel shelters tolbe 'usedin situationspermitting only short periods of use in one place and requiring repeatedrelocations. These-attributes are of particular value inv manycircumstances"asgfor-example, under arctic condi# tions andinmilitar'yuse in proximity to an enemy. Y

The most common form of existing portable shelters has-been` the tent'type structure consisting of a limp skin superimposed on a rigid orsemi-rigid frame permitting the shelter to be carried or stored indisassembled form;V A modification ofthe tent appears instructures'having' a limp skin permanently secured to' a foldingrframethat operates in the fashion of an umbrella.- Other types ofexisting portable sheltersV are found in agriculture coversv as tree orstack `coversor portable auto covers where the" item protected formsthesupport forf the shelter.`-l

An important object' of this' invention iste-provide a quicklyerectedand' quickly collapsed, foldable, prefabric'ated shelter shell.

Another object of" this invention is` to provide a fold-H- ableprefa'bricated shelterth'at will beoperable as a resuitV ofthecharacteristics ofits ownshell and `without use of an interior orexterior ancillary supporting'` frame YAnother object'V of VthisVinvention is t'o provide alfoldandthe geometry of the'segmentsf 1 UnitedStates Patent() 2 shelter constructed of panel members hinged togetherin such a way that the panels are in an unstressed condition of reposewhen the shelter is collapsed but .are supported in the erected positionby stresses which arecreated byl deformation of the material of thepanels as a result ofV their configuration and which are retained by theresiliency of the panels. This invention is most easily ernbodied inshelters conforming to regula-r curved surfaces of revolution having aneven number of equal symmetrical panels of normally planar resilientmaterial and In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisVspecification and wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the same- Fig. l isa perspective view of an erectedshelter made according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;v

Fig. 2 is ay front elevation of an erected shell according to alpreferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig'. 3 is atop planview of the shell of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan viewof a blank of material partially shaped intopanels;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on-line'Y 5-5 of Fig. 3showingY a cross section of a hinge taken ablerprefabricated;'self-supporting; structure whereinv allj fi stresses' to lmaintainfitsattitude, .j'shapeg and load capacity are obtained fromvtlie-lresiliency of `Y thematerial used* able,` l'prefabricated,'self-supporting.selfstressing1'struc# tuie wherein stressing as aresult 'ofthe resiliency; ofl'lthe f on othergand'ttlie'snap action-1ofqaportion of! a segrnentfpasa#A 1 ing througliyavstatef,oicompressionito astat'eof" materiali l and fthe geometry v"ofthe) "segrnentsl` is t activated by-'thetoggleactionof two segmentsriding" over each normalto the axis of the hinge;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a shell according to-a preferredembodiment of the invention in a completely folded position; Y'

Fig. 7 is an enlargedend responding to an elevation of the.

left end ofthe folded shell as illustrated in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic perspective of the shellV of'v` Fig. 2 in afpartially foldedcondition,v or conversely an opened but unstressedcondition;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic bottom view of one-half ofi the'shell of Fig. 2showing a` semi-folded condition of theY shell in broken lines;

I Fig.` 10 is a fragmentarydiagraminatic el'evation'ofthev shelterpartially opened as in Fig. 8 showing an inter-` mediateunstressedipanel in broken lines; a Fig. 1l Yis afperspective View of anarticulated Shelter constituting another embodiment of tlievimfention;`Fig. 12 'is aperspectiv'eview ofa partially foldedv segment of thearticulated structure of Fig. ll; f

'.Fig. 13 is av perspective yview of a completely foldedl segment ofthestructure illustrated in Figli;

Fig. 14 is ayperspective-view of a folded segmentiof the: structureillustrated in Fig. ll wherein the panelsarje` dividedinto half panels;l5

, of van articulated segment according to' FigflZv and topped'by ahemispheroidal dome according to Fig; 21;y

Fig. 16 is an'elevation Yof anV erectedshelter similar'l'to that' ofFig..-15` with half-barrel shapedsegmentfs; andl Q i l. .Eig'." 1.7 'isafperspectiveviewof ashel'terlsimilar to that,-

'ofiFig 1l but using segments'like 'thoseo'Figf 16.` Y the' purposeofillu"titrationI I there are shovvnprefered Venfoodirnents of theI` YIn"kr the` drawings, whereinfor :reportable self-suppertivn'g "shelterlis indicated vgeneral Y` s illustrated in Figs. lZand vvfirthis pferred embodiment' off shelter' lis ofapproxirnately he spheroidal`contigurationalthough the-inventionis e applicable ftd an'ellipso'idiparabolid v ompound vcurved surface or an view of a folded`shell lcor-LV shapes. The shell or wall 10 of shelter 1 is made up ofpanels 11, the majority of which are subdivided into half panels orportions 12. All panels and half panels or portions are connectedtogether by elongated hinges 15, several of which are shown in Fig. 3.Diametrically opposed panels 13 and 14, for purposes which will becomeevident later, are not subdivided in the preferred embodiment. Eachpanel 11, 13, and 14, and each half panel 12 of the erected shell hasappearances and characteristics of a half lune of the spheroid of whichthe shell is a hemispheroid. The base perimeter 16 of the erectedhemispheroidal shelter is approximately a great circle of the spheroidand each panel and half panel edge at the hinges or fold lines 15 is aportion of a meridian of the spheroid meeting the base perimeter atapproximately a spherical right angle. Whole panels 13 and 14 could, inthe alternative, be located adjacent to each other causing the halfpanels to fold into a V-shaped space between panels 13 and 14. j

` The panels and half panels 12 are made of a normally at flexible sheetmaterial as, for example, glass fiber reinforced polyester having a highdegree of resiliency and predetermined size. Since each panel 11 is ahalf lune, each half panel 12 forms approximately one quarter of a luneof the erected sphere and has the undeformed coniiguration bestillustrated in Fig. 4. 'Ihe half panels can be fabricated from at stockas indicated in Fig. 4 by rst shaping a llattened lune 17 having arcuateedges 18, then discarding the tips 19 (for a reason later explained) andseparating the rem'ainder of the lune along lines 20 and 21 into halfpanels 12. The half panels may then be stacked on a whole panel, as forexample panel 13, in the manner of Figs. 6 and 7, with the arcuate edges18 to the exterior matching edges 18 of the Whole panel and Straightedges 20 to the interior and may be bound with a flexible joint materialin the manner illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7 to hinge edges of adjacenthalf panels as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The top of the pile is nished owith an integral panel as 14. One of the whole panels, as panel `13, maybe iitted with an entrance 22.

In the erection of the shelter, the hinged panels and half panels asfolded in Figs. 6 and 7 are opened to the configuration illustrated inFig. 8 and as shown by broken lines in Figs. 9 and l0. At this positionthe shell resists further opening since the extremities of curved edges18 of adjoining panels fulcrum themselves around the midpoints of thoseedges and place the hinges`15 under tension at the extremities of thoseedges. As opening progresses beyond this point, the panels are bowedinto shapes approaching spherical segments by the tension betweenextremities of edges 18. As thek shell approaches its spheroidal shape,the hinged straight edges between mating half panels are snappedoutwardly to their bowed or spherical positions in which each set ofedges or hinge between joined straight edges form a meridian curve ofthe spheroidal shape. This critical point in the opening, and of thetensioning, of the shell structure is occasioned by the behavior of thehinged straight edges of mating half panels or folded panel centerlinesmoving in an outwardly direction of the shell with a toggle and snap orover-center action.l This peculiar actionV is Athe result of a.combination of two causes. As a straight edge hinge 15 moves from theposition shown in Fig. 8 in the di- .rection indicated by an arrow toassume the bowed attitude of Fig. 2, the hinge 15 assumes, at onepoint,'the location of a chord of its ultimate arc. Since, as apparentin Fig," l0, the hinge 15 and the straight edges joined by it arenecessarily longer than the chord of the arc formed by the hingelS whenbowed, the hinge and edgesare places under `axial compression whenmovedV through the` position ofthe chord Vof the arc.Y Thiscompressionactingnon the relatively uncompressiblerhingevl causes the hinge tobuckle slightly andeventually snap openv as the hinge passes the chordor center position. Another and accompanying cause of the peculiaractionpis the ci'inflicting bowing of the Atwo straight edges., as theypass .the chord position both as a result of the buckling described andas a result of the bowing of the entire half panel. This bowing isconflicting because the central portions of the edges in attempting tooccupy the same space force themselves together in the vicinity of thechord position resulting in a mutual toggling or fulcruming until theultimate spheroidal position is approached wherein the hinge cornesunder tension.

In the erected position wherein each panel and half panel is bowed, theresiliency of the material and the geometry of the panels provide thestresses to maintain the position; the resiliency of each panelincidentally tending to exert a bowing inlluence on opposed panels. Thebowing of the panels caused by the opening of hinge 15 betweencurvededges 18 placinghinges and panel material under tension anddistortion, is in eiect a stressing of the materials which arecompletely unstressed in the folded shell. Consequently, the shell maybe considered as self-stressing upon opening. i

' The extreme narrow ends of the panels and half panels indicated by 19,are not used in the preferred embodiment as evident in Figs. 3, 6, and8. These narrow portions, as previously stated, have been removed todecrease the o'verall length of the folded shell, to decrease thelikelihood of breakage which is most likely at the narrow ends of thepanels, and because the eflicacy of the structure would not beparticularly enhanced by use of the removed portions which would requirethe greatest hinge strengths and which would furnish the least panelresiliency. The resulting hole 23 in the erected shelter may be coveredby a circular cap of rigid material or by flexible material such astenting. Additionally, the hole 23 is adaptable to be used as anentrance, chimney, or observation window in circumstances of snowcoverage, cold climate, v or proximity to enemy action, respectively.

In the case of the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3wherein 16 panels, i.e. 28 half and twol whole panels, are used to forma hemispheroidal shell,-

each whole panel angle at 19, as illustrated in Fig. 4, is 360/ 16 andeach whole panel base line 21 is one six- -teenth of the circumferenceor 1rd/ 16, each half panel angle and baseline being 360/28 and 1rd/ 28respectively.

In this particular embodiment, the arcuate panel edges` are circular ofradius of approximately 1%.; of the circumference of the completed shellor 1rd(l|%.) to approximate the curvature of a sphere when distorted bythe bowing of the panel during stressing. A lesser radius of curvatureof the panel edges may be used to produce a attening of thehemispheroidal shape to obtain a lower silhouette. Obviously, thepreferred embodiment may be constructed with any even number of panels.However, the angle at 19, each line 21 and the radius of arcuate edge 18vary according to the number of panels.

Figs. 11, 12, and 13 are illustrative of other embodiments of thepresent invention. The shelter 3 of Fig. 11, rather than being unitaryin structure, is a cylindrical or arched articulation of curved,preferably barrel-shaped segments 30 secured together by any appropriateconnector as, for example, double channel connecting strips. Segments 30may be of any curvature having a surface generated Vby'a curvilineargeneratrix. Each segment 30, as best illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13, ismade up of a succession of identical flat panels 31 having arcuatelongivby the arcuate edges 32 in the samevmanne'r asl panels 11 ofthepreferred embodiment previously described.l

This vbowing of panels 31 caused by the fulc'ruming of edges 32 abouttheir midpoints stresses the panels into barrelstave shape. -Thesesegments, therefore, are selfstressing units Iof, suicienti rigidity itoretain a, predetermined shape and to support a load. The shelterconother plastics.

figuration ofMFig. ,l1 ismore practical for large structures thanthepreferred embodiment shown 'in Fig. 1 because of the separability ofsegments and is more flexible in use since any ynumber of segments maybe used. The panels 31 of segment 3l)V may `be subdivided into halfpanels joined at straight edges at the panel centerline, as

vshown in Fig. 14, byV aexiblehinge in the manner of panels 11 of thepreferrred embodiment as joinedv at 15.

Still other embodiments are contemplated and may be referred to .brieflyby description.y Segments of the nature of 30 in Fig.` 11 may becombined and placed on edge to fashion an uprightbarrel and may then betopped with a dome, spherical or parabolic, constructed in the mannerofthe hemispheroidal shelter of Fig 1 as illustrated in Fig. 15.Segments 33 ofthe nature of 30 may be fashioned inhalf vbarrel form sothat two segments may 'be placed with running edges of larger dimensionjoined to form a barrel, with opposite abutting panels of the joinedsegments representing staves, either as a complete upright enclosurethat may be topped with a dome as shown in Fig. 16 or as a lrounded toparticulated tunnel type as illustrated in Fig. 17. Size limitations ofthese other embodiments or they embodiments more fully described are notinherent in the concept of the invention but result solelyV fromcharacteristics of the materials. Materials appropriate toV any sizestructure may be selected from thoseV commercially available.

Although the above'descriptions have been directed to use of thestructures incorporating the novelty of the invention as shelters andparticularly troop or personnel structures, this use forms no limitationon the invention since structures according to this disclosure can beconstructed for use as warehouse or supply shelters; as garages orhangars; as storage' units or bins for grain, coal, sand, etc.; for useas liquid containers when provided with liquid impervious liners; or as'forms` for concrete or the structures according to this invention mayreceive liners, flooring, etc., for insulation, etc. to accommodate,

the structure to a particular purpose or use.

1. A folding, self-stressing, self-supporting, articulated,prefabricated, cylindrical shelter consistion of a plurality of curved,edge abutting, barrel-like segments'removably secured together whereineach segment *consists of a series of normally flat 'flexible panelsjoined edge-to-edge by flexible hinge means, said panels havingsubstantial resiliency-and having arcuate hinged edges,` whereby thepanels of each segnflent when folded lie fac'e-to-face in superimposedrelationship and the panels of the segment when extended lie,edge-toedge in a continuous Acurve andare bowed and tensioned into abarrel stave shape.

2; The structure of claim` 1 wherein some of the panels are ,subdividedinto half panels by straight centerline V flexible hinges. Y

l 3; Alconstruct ion for a folding, .selfM-stressing, selfsupporting,prefabricated ,hernispherio'dal shelterada'pted Further, it iscontemplated that any of to reston its equatorialed'ge" when erected,comprising a` ,Y hemispheroidal shell of resiliently exible material,`said shell being divided into a pluralityV of truncated halflunewholepanels'and half panels along meridian linesy divergent from the topof the shell, said panels being joined .fin edge abutting fashion alongVsaid meridian lines by ilexiblelhinge meansfsaid whole panels and halfpanels -beingnormally planar buthstressed into vcurved lsurfaces Y Ybytheirfmutualinteraction, said-shell being collapsible bvforcing'thosesaidexible hinge means alongv quadrant vlines?."whichfjoinadjacent.halffpanelsV inwardly through a statepf compression rcausingflexing of` all' Ysaidfhinge 1 means `to cause adjaeentpanels and `halfpanels' in'their i folded-'shelterpositionsto lie in stacked surfaceabutting rclatinship to each fotlier,` said whole panels and hal-fpanels oncollapsing 'of theshelter'assumingtheir normal planarconfiguratiom said-Wholefpanels vin their; normal Y 1 planarconfiguration'having identically .curi/ad,` edges at' the `hingedmeridian lines, said half Ipanels inl their normal planar configurationeach having oneV curved edge and one straight edge at the hinged linesand being joined to a whole panel at its curved edge and to another halfpanel at its straight edge.

4. A hemispheroidal shelter having a foldable wall of resilientlyflexible material foldable zig-zag fashion along meridian fold lines,said fold lines subdividing the wall into half-lune shaped whole panelsand half panels, said whole panels and half panels being planar inunilexed condition, said panels each having two longitudinally curvedmeridian edges converging fromv a straight base edge to a straightterminal edge to approximate the area of a'lune' between the minor axisand a line parallel to the minor -axis proximate the angle ofthe lune,saidhalf panels each being a half of a whole panel divided alongitslongitudinal center and each having one curved and one straightlongitudinal edge, said fold lines being composed of elongated hingemeans interconnecting unitary whole panels and half panels along theirlongitudinal edges, said whole and half panels being interconnected bysaid hinge means Wit-h curved longitudinal Whole panel and half paneledges abutting each other in pairs and with straight longitudinal halfpanel edges abutting each other in pairs, said fold lines at a pair ofstraight longitudinal half panel edges moving inwardly of the shelter onfolding of the shelter, said fold lines which are formed by the straighthalf panel edges `passing through Ya state folding and erecting of theshelter.

5. A shelter having a folding wall comprising an arti-v culated seriesof resiliently flexible planar panels each having two arcuatelongitudinal edges converging from a base to a restricted'top with manyof said panels being divided along their longitudinal centers into halfpanels,

and elongated flexible hingemeans joining each' pair of half panelsalong the panel centers and elongated flexible hinge meansinterconnecting and joining adjacentpanels of the series along proximatearcuatellongitudinal edges', said panels being stressed from theirplanar state into compoundly curved surfaces to form a hemispheroidhaving elongated flexible hinge means interconnectingv each portieri"betweentwo other `similarly aligned por gtions, saidpor-tions beinginterconnected in longitudinal edge to longitudinal edge contact forhingedmovement ofl joined portions through. dihedral angles with" somealternate` dihedral angles being oppositely directed; wherev bytheangles maybe closed to fold the portions' on themL selves inzig'lzag'fashion lor opened tov create an extended surface, said longitudinaledges of adjoining portions being'v joined at said hinge means inarcuate-to-arcuate and Vin* straight-to-straight pairs whereby thearcuate edge to arcuate edge abutment of portions at Ihinge means causesla fulcrurningof the Vpanels about the points of Ymaximum compressionbetween abutting varcuate'edges to bow andV stress the said planarportions into compoundly curved surfaces Vconstituting half-lunesectorsV of flexible hinge means attached to Vsaid arcuateedgesinterconnecting Vsuccessive panelsv in said, series: theshelterlwhen in folded cond itio'n' having the hinge `means exed 7 with thepanels lying in an accordion stack in planar unstressed state withsuccessive panels inface abutting relationship with like arcuate edgesof successive panels superimposed, and having said ilexible hinge meansholding said edges in the superimposed position; the shelter when inunfolded, erected condition having panels stressed from their planarunstressed conguration into a comlpound curvature to develop theconcavo-convex shape of the shelter and said flexible hinge means eachholding the edges to which each hinge means is attached in edge abuttingcontiguous position to stress said panels; each said exible hinge meansof the shelter, with its interconnected arcuate edges, which approachesits erected surface position from the interior of the shelter duringerection passing through a state of compression with an over-center snapaction to a state of stable stress; during folding of the shelter eachexible hinge means which moves to the interior of the shelter on foldingpassing through a state of compression with an over-center snap actionto an unstressed state whereby stressing of panels and hinge meansduring erection of the shelter will support the shelter in aconcavo-convex shape without application of exterior forces and foldingof the shelter will permit movement and storage of the shelter in acompact unstressed position.

8. A shelter consisting of a seriees of generally elongated quadrangularportions of resiliently flexible planar sheet material each having atleast one longitudinal edge convexly arcuate, the remaining edges beingstraight, and having elongated exible hinge means interconnected eachportion into the series between two other portions, said portions beinginterconnected in longitudinal edge to longitudinal edge contact forhinged movement of joined portions through dihedral angles with somealternate dihedral angles being oppositely directed, whereby the anglesmay be closed to fold the portions on themselves in zig-zag fashion oropened to create an extended surface, said longitudinal edges ofadjoining portions being joined at said hinge means in identicallyshaped pairs whereby the arcuate edge to arcuate edge abutment ofportions at hinge means causes a fulcruming of the panels about thepoints of maximum compression between abutting arcuate edges to bow andstress the said planar portions into compoundly curved surfacesconstituting sectors of a compoundly curved surface.

9. A concavo-convex shelter having a folding wall comprising anarticulated series of resiliently flexible planar panels each having twoarcuate longitudinal edges converging from a first to a second endwithmany of said panels being divided along their longitudinal centersinto half panels and elongated exible hinge means joining each pair ofhalf panels along the panel centers and elongated exible hinge meansinterconnecting and joining adjacent panels of the series alongproximate arcuate longitudinal edges, said panels being stressedsfromtheir planar state into compoundly curved surfaces 'to form a regularconcave-convex surface by the stress maintained by tensions created bythe resiliency of the panels acting through the hinge means, saidshelter being foldable by forcing alternate flexible hinges inwardly ofthe hemisphere through compressive positions of the chords of arcs ofVsaid exible hinges on the regular-concaveoonvex surface thereby formingaccordion folds.

10. A folding, self-stressing, self-supporting, prefabricated structurecomprising an articulated series of similar normally planar panels ofsubstantially resilient flexible sheet material, said panels each havinga pair of opposite joining edges, at least one joining edge of eachpanel being arcuate, the remaining joining edges being straight,adjacent panels of the series being joined by elongated flexible hingemeans interconnecting a joining edge of each two adjacent panels alongthe lengths of the joining edges to form hinge joints between successivepanels and the articulations in the series, said panels being at,unstressed and surface abutting when the structure is folded and beingcurved, stressed and edge abutting when the structure is unfolded.

l1. The structure of claim 10, wherein some pairs of successive panelshave arcuate joining edges exteriorly of the pair of panels andstraigh-t joining edges between the pair so that the flexible hingemeans joining the pair of Straight joining edges constitutes a jointmedially of the two panels constituting the pair and wherein arcuateedges are connected only to arcuate edges and straight joining edgesonly to straight joining edges in the series.

12. The structure of claim 7, wherein said panels are elongated and saidarcuate edges of each panel are longitudinal edges and wherein some ofsaid panels are provided with a median fold between said arcuate edges,said median folds being a straight line of folds in said panels when thepanels are in unstressed planar condition andsaid median folds whichmove inwardly of the shelter during folding are passed through a stateof compression with an over-center snap action both during folding andduring erection of the shelter.

13. The structure of claim l2 wherein said arcuate longitudinal edgesjoin equal length parallel edges.

14. The structure of claim l2, wherein said arcuate longitudinal edgesare convergent from a third edge, each of said panels has the form of atruncated half lune and said median fold comprises a flexible hingemeans interconnecting two half panels, said half panels being a paneldivided along its median with respect to said arcuate longitudinaledges.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS146,271 Packer Jan. 6, 1874 1,834,084 Barnes Dec. l, 1931 1,910,828Flanders May 23, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 23,290 lGreat Britain Nov. 30,1914 71,414 Norway Dec. 23, 1946 114,827 Australia Mar. 19, 1942

